Once your baby is able to string together several hours of sleep at a time, you might be curious about sleep training, which is also called sleep teaching. The pick up, put down method is one to consider and involves patient visits back and forth to your baby's crib until she's settled down.
Read on for when you can start this kind of sleep training and the steps to take so you can get your little one to finally lie down for good at night.
What is the pick up, put down method of sleep training?
The pick up, put down sleep training method is literally just that. The idea, which comes from Tracy Hogg’s book Secrets of the Baby Whisperer, involves putting your baby in her crib and if she fusses, going to her room to hold her for a bit, then putting her back in the crib when she's calm. These steps are repeated again, and as needed, until your baby is settled and asleep.
This approach to sleep training is considered one of the gentler ones, as many parents believe it teaches babies to self-soothe without feeling like they’re abandoning them to cry alone in their cribs.
As for when to start, keep in mind that babies don't have regular sleep cycles until about 6 months of age, though sleep training can begin between 4 and 6 months. This is when most infants are able to sleep through the night, even up to eight hours, without needing to be fed. Talk to your child's pediatrician about the best time to start sleep training.
Does the pick up, put down method work?
Yes, with enough practice and patience, the pick up, put down method can teach your baby that it's time to hit the hay. This process can be draining, however, as you’re on deck all the time and it involves a considerable time investment of several weeks or longer.
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There will be tears during this type of sleep training, which some parents may find hard to take. And some babies may become too stimulated by the recurrent interaction of the pick up, put down method, making it hard for them to settle down and sleep.
If you’ve got a deadline for sleep training completion (perhaps you’re heading back to work soon), know that this method could take longer than some others.
How can I successfully use the pick up, put down method of sleep training?
Pick up, put down method success is often based on perseverance and patience, as this method can take a long time to master. A naptime version of pick up, put down can also work — just follow the same steps as at night.
Here’s how to become a pick up, put down pro, day or night:
- Follow your bedtime routine. Keep up the same regular tuck-in schedule you’ve established with your baby, which may include a final feeding, a bath, books and a lullaby.
- Put her down drowsy, but awake. After one last cuddle, put your sweetie down while she’s drowsy but still awake so she'll learn to fall asleep on her own in the crib.
- Give her a chance to settle. If she's quiet, leave the room. But if she starts to fuss, wait a bit before you go back in. She might cry but then stop on her own after a short while.
- Pick her up and soothe. If she's really upset and wailing, go in and pick her up to offer some comfort for a minute or so.
- Put her down and leave. When she's calm again, put her down and exit the room.
- Repeat as needed. Take it from the top and listen for crying, wait to see if she'll settle down and then pick her up and put her down again. Repeat until she's asleep.
Is the pick up, put down method the best method of sleep training?
If you're wondering which sleep training method is best, the answer is simple: It's the one you commit enough time and consistency to that feels right for your baby and your family.
Since all infants are different, their sleep needs differ too, which means pick up, put down success — or any method’s success — isn't a guarantee in every case.
That said, if the pick up, put down process isn’t working out, there are other sleep teaching paths to take, including the following:
- Cry it out. This method involves tucking your baby in and then letting her cry without comfort or checking in until she falls asleep. You would only go in to her overnight if she's due for a feeding.
- Ferber method. A check-and-console process of timed intervals that lengthen gradually, developed by Dr. Richard Ferber.
- Chair method. You sit in a chair near the crib until your baby is asleep, without picking her up, and then move your perch farther away each evening until you're out the door.
- Bedtime fading. This process strives to change your baby’s sleep rhythm by pushing back bedtime by 15-minute increments until you’ve reached the optimal tuck-in hour.
Sleep training may seem tough on your baby, but little ones and their parents can benefit from methods like pick up, put down. If you stick with it, soon your sweetie will drift off to dreamland peacefully, all on her own.
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